SMS leave Heltio automatically: after a booking, before a visit, after a reschedule or a cancellation, with a payment link. There is no "write an SMS to a patient" screen — you decide which events send an SMS. The wording is fixed, and Heltio handles the rest.
Every SMS sent draws segments from the SMS wallet.
How to do it
Choose which events send an SMS
In Settings → Notifications flip the toggle in the SMS column on the row you want. Notifications are grouped: Appointments, Payments, Programs, Marketing & engagement, Documents & resources. Each group carries a count of active channels above it.
Check the wording
Show preview & template shows, under the Patient will see heading, the text the patient will receive. The SMS text is fixed and can't be edited. If you want it changed, get in touch with us.
Request a custom sender name
By default the patient sees Heltio as the sender. On the SMS wallet page you will find the Custom sender name card: give a name (3–11 characters, English letters and digits only — no spaces, symbols or Polish diacritics), confirm the declaration and click Submit request.
Each of the four operators — Plus, Orange, T-Mobile, Play — reviews the request independently; that usually takes 3–5 business days. The fees are 99 PLN net one-off and 29 PLN net per month, charged only after our team approves the request. You follow progress with View timeline.
Block sending for a single patient
On the patient card, on the Communication tab, the Communication preferences card has a Receive SMS notifications toggle. Under it sits the Current status: Receiving SMS or Opted out.
This is an operational send block, not a marketing consent — a patient can hold a valid consent and still be blocked here. You check the legal basis under managing consents.
The STOP and START keywords
A patient who replies STOP to any SMS from Heltio is unsubscribed from SMS — for every clinic where they appear under that phone number. START restores sending. The opt-out is immediate and needs nothing on your side.
Later SMS to such a patient carry the status Opt-out (blocked) and draw no segments from the wallet.
Separately, one patient can receive at most five SMS per day from one clinic. Messages over that limit are not sent.
When something doesn't work
Sender name must be 3–11 characters.
What this means: The name typed is too short or too long.
Polish diacritics are not allowed by SMS operators (ą, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, ż).
What this means: The sender name contains Polish diacritics.
Body too long — server refuses to send more than 6 segments.
What this means: The template, once the variables are filled in, runs past six segments.
Phone must be in E.164 format (e.g. +48600000000).
What this means: The number in the test send was given without a country code.
SMS wallet exhausted — top up to send real SMS.
What this means: The wallet balance dropped to zero.
Who has access
Clinic AdminChannels, templates, the sender request and the per-patient block are handled by the clinic owner and admin. Other roles see Admin access required.
The sending history — who, when, with what result — lives under Recent messages on the wallet page and on the patient card.
Related
- SMS wallet and packages — balance, top-ups, transaction history.
- Appointment reminders — the two most-used SMS.
- Marketing campaigns — bulk sending, separate consents.
Related features
SMS wallet and packages
The clinic's SMS balance — how much is left, where it comes from, how to buy a package and how to switch on auto top-up.
Appointment reminders
Heltio reminds the patient about an appointment twice — first at the time the practice sets (24 hours ahead by default), then 2 hours ahead. This is where you set which channel carries it and check what it says.
Email to a patient
Which emails Heltio sends patients on the clinic's behalf, how to turn them on and off, and what you can change in them.
Marketing campaigns
Bulk SMS and email to patients who gave marketing consent — with audience selection, a consent check and a send window.